Additional Coverage:
- Retired air traffic controller warns of shutdown’s toll on US skies: ‘You can’t mail it in’ (foxbusiness.com)
Air Traffic Control on the Brink: Shutdown Exacerbates Long-Standing Staffing Crisis
NATIONAL – The ongoing government shutdown, now the longest in U.S. history, is pushing the nation’s air traffic control system to its limits, according to a retired air traffic controller. Stephen Abraham, who served for over two decades at New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport, warns that while the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is attempting to mitigate issues by reducing air traffic, these measures are merely a “Band-Aid” on a much deeper wound.
The FAA announced plans to reduce air traffic by 10% across 40 high-volume markets. However, Abraham contends this move is a stopgap, not a solution, for a staffing shortage that has plagued control towers for decades. “It doesn’t solve the crisis, it just prevents a complete meltdown,” Abraham stated, highlighting the chronic understaffing that predates the current shutdown.
Air traffic controllers, designated as essential workers, are mandated to continue their critical duties even without regular government funding. This means they’ve been working for over a month without paychecks, leading to increased stress and fatigue. Abraham emphasizes that controllers are “overworked” and “fatigued,” a situation worsened by financial anxieties.
The former controller explained that the immense pressure and lack of pay can lead to controllers calling out sick, not necessarily in protest, but due to mental exhaustion or financial distress. “If you don’t sleep real well, I’m not going to work the next day,” he said, underscoring the zero-tolerance for error in their profession.
“Every day has to be an ‘A’ day. You don’t get ‘B’ days.”
This lack of backup staff creates an “untenable situation.”
The impact is already being felt by travelers. Since the government shutdown began on October 1, over 3.2 million airline passengers have experienced delays or cancellations attributed to air traffic controller staffing issues, according to Airlines for America, an industry trade group.
The severity of the situation has even prompted unusual advice from airline executives. Frontier Airlines CEO Barry Biffle recently took to Instagram to suggest that travelers consider booking a backup ticket on another carrier if they “need to be there or don’t want to be stranded” in the coming days.